International full-back is not even on the bench for RaboDirect Pro12
semi-final against Munster at Scotstoun

He has a recent Lions tour under his belt and a number of top clubs chasing him, but there is still no place for Stuart Hogg in the Glasgow Warriors starting line-up for Friday evening’s RaboDirect Pro12 semi-final match against Munster at Scotstoun.

Instead, Peter Murchie is at full-back as Glasgow chase their dream of a first appearance in a major final. Murchie lacks Hogg’s alacrity in attack, but he is seen as a better player in defence, with a particular strength under the high ball.

Even so, it is a big call to omit Hogg, who does not even have the consolation of a place on the bench.

The decision by Gregor Townsend, the coach, provokes suspicion that he has been unimpressed by Hogg’s excitable ways recently, and that he might not trust the player to retain a cool head in the febrile atmosphere of a home play-off.

However, the coach batted away that suggestion, explaining that a niggling injury and lack of game time – the consequence of Hogg’s sending off when playing for Scotland against Wales – had swayed the decision against the 21-year-old.

“Stuart knows he has probably not had enough rugby,” Townsend said. “We are in a great situation at full-back and Peter Murchie was outstanding against Edinburgh and very good when he came on at the weekend.

"Stuart has played well, but he has not been able to have a full game with his back injury. We pick what we think is the right side to win a game.”

While one fans’ favourite is left out, another has fared rather better. With the emergence of Tim Swinson and Jonny Gray as full international players over the past 12 months, there was an impression that long-serving captain Al Kellock was slipping down the second-row pecking order at Glasgow, but Townsend has decided that the 32-year-old’s experience will add composure in what is likely to be a fraught contest.

Even if Kellock’s powers as a player have waned a little, he is acknowledged as probably the best leader of a Scottish club side during the professional era.

With Paul O’Connell as Kellock’s direct opponent, Townsend agreed that hard-nosed rugby nous had swayed the decision. He also admitted that his captain’s communication skill, particularly with referees, had been a factor.

Kellock is the sole survivor from the Warriors’ starting XV for the first-ever Pro12 semi-final – against Ospreys – in 2010.

The side have now reached the play-off stage in four of the past five seasons, and Kellock believes that they are now ready to go one step further, his conviction strengthened by the fact that Glasgow go into the game on a run of eight straight wins in the Pro12.

“We talk amongst ourselves about how well we have done,” Kellock said. “In the past maybe we would have talked about how they don’t respect us but I don’t believe we are underdogs, playing on our own park after winning eight in a row. If we focus on ourselves we can win this game.

“Also we have to look at Munster and do our analysis and realise where they are strong – and they are a strong, strong team. I don’t worry about opinions that come in any more, we are very much focused on ourselves.”

Intriguingly, the two regular-season games between Glasgow and Munster were both won by the away side. In October, the Irish side played a tight, contained game and left Glasgow with a 13-6 victory. Yet in the return fixture last month, Glasgow stunned Thomond Park with their bold approach, scored three first-half tries and won 22-5.

Those results make the semi-final difficult to predict, but Townsend pointed out that the picture was also clouded by the fact that Munster have two very distinct styles of play, and are likely to switch between the two in an all-or-nothing game.

“They passed the ball more than any other side last season, which is very different to what Munster did in the past. But they have mixed that up with the traditional Munster game. You have forwards running hard at you, especially as they get further up the pitch and closer to the try line.”

Communications giant BT has emerged as the front-runner to secure naming rights at Murrayfield. Scottish Rugby Union officials have refused to comment, but it is understood that a seven-year deal worth up to £20 million is close to being signed.